Park resigns from Carbon School District

In a special Carbon School District board meeting held on Friday at 8 a.m., it was announced that under an agreement with the board, Superintendent George Park has resigned.

Park, who had been on administrative leave since August was not present at the meeting.

"This was a confidential agreement between the Superintendent and the board," said board member Jeff Richens. "We cannot reveal the details of the agreement at this time nor can we as board members talk about it."

Park was placed on administrative leave after charges were brought against him by the Garfield County Attorney's office concerning the misuse of public funds that they claimed took place during his tenure as superintendent of the Garfield County School District. However, those charges were dropped in early November.

Park was, however, still under investigation by the Utah Professional Practice Advisory Commission, a division of the Utah State Board of Education. On Monday, lead investigator Jean Hill told the Sun Advocate that they had not finished their investigation and that it wouldn't be done until sometime in January.

The board will be releasing a document next week that will give more detail concerning the agreement with Park via a GRAMA request from the media. That document could come as early as Wednesday, but it may be Thursday before it is released.

The board also voted to make Patsy Bueno, the present acting superintendent, interim superintendent until the position was filled.

When asked about what would happen now, board members said the search for a new superintendent would begin sometime in January.